Joys of Babysitting
by leveragus
Summary: Written for week 3 of #ShandySundayHiatus Marathon. Andy is babysitting his grand kids when someone unexpected shows up.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi everyone! This is a one-shot story written for the week 3 of #ShandySundayHiatus Marathon! It's just a little fluff story I wrote that takes place further in season 3. I hope you like it :D**

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**The Joys of Babysitting.**

Andy Flynn was chasing one of his step-grandkids down the corridor and through the sitting room of his house.

"I'm going to get ya!" he exclaimed grinned as Colin laughed squirming.

"Gotcha!" he lifted the five years old boy over his shoulder and started tickling him.

"Uncle! Uncle" the little boy begged between laughter.

Andy gently patted his behind and put him back down "Where's your brother?" he asked smiling.

"He's still hiding" he grinned. "Wyatt is really good at hide and seek" The five years old pouted remembering all the times it took him hours to find is elder brother.

"Well, why don't we keep looking for him and then we'll go and wash our hands so we can start making that pizza" he turned and shouted the next part. "And only the little kids who help making pizza will have some, so if we don't find you in the next ten minutes, you'd better come out on your own… or no dinner" Andy winked at Colin who just snorted.

Before they could go in search of Wyatt, there was a knock at the front door.

"You go" Andy told Colin . "I'll be there in a second" and he watched the boy run away before he opened the door.

"Sharon… I mean, Captain" Andy gasped once he saw who was behind it.

"Sharon is fine" she smiled. "May I come in?"

Andy shook his head still surprised by the unexpected guest. "Sorry, yeah. Sure" he stepped aside to let her in and he closed the door behind her. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

"Sorry for bothering you, Andy"

"No bother, I'm just playing with my grand kids." He smiled.

"Oh right, I forgot. This is the weekend there're staying with you" she smiled back happy for him.

He told her about it during their last dinner together. Nicole and her husband went away for a romantic getaway and for the first time her daughter had asked him to looked after the kids, much to her mother disapproval. Andy couldn't have been happier that Nicole had gave him this opportunity and he had been looking forward to spending time with his grandsons.

"Yeah" he beamed with pride.

"How is it going?" she asked looking around hoping to get to see them. They were so well behaved and adorable kids and she had met them another couple of times after their Nutcracker recital.

"We were playing hide and seek. Wyatt is hidden somewhere and we can't find him. And now Colin is gone too" he shrugged. "But I'm sure if they heard someone is here, they might come out" he smirked, knowing that the kids adored her. They always asked about her when he went to visit.

Sharon smiled. "Do you think I could get a hug from two handsome young men?" she said in a louder voice.

"Sharon!" Colin and Wyatt came running from where they were hiding and hugged her legs, one at each side.

"Hello you two!" Sharon laughed laying a hand on each of the boys heads.

Wyatt was two years older than his brother and was slightly taller. He looked up as he laid his chin against her hip. "Are you staying?" he asked giving her his best puppy's eyes look.

Sharon looked at Andy surprised and with no idea how to answer. "I…"

"Boys, I'm sure Sharon has got something else to do" Andy tried to help her.

"Actually I was going to spend the rest of my afternoon cleaning. Rusty is out with some friends and…"

Colin's eyes lit up. "So, you'll stay?"

"Sure," she smiled "If it's okay with your grandfather" she locked her playful eyes with Andy's.

He shrugged grinning. "The more the merrier" he took her jacket and purse. "We were about to make pizza from scratch. Would you like to join us?"

"Sounds interesting" she smirked.

"Yes!" the boys exclaimed and rushed to the kitchen dragging Sharon behind them.

They spent the next hour making pizza, having fun throwing flour and water at each other. Andy laughed as Sharon hit him with some flour and then drew a smiling face on his forehead. Colin and Wyatt found it funny and Wyatt took a photo with his mobile phone to send to Nicole.

"Well, the dough needs to rest for an hour so it can rise" Andy exclaimed while he tried to clean their mess. "What shall we do while we wait?"

"I need to get washed" Sharon said while she shook her hair which now had some white spots.

"These two little monkeys need a bath too" Andy eyed the kids who were already shaking their heads.

"I can go back home…" Sharon began saying.

"Of course not." Andy stopped her. "You can use my bathroom while Colin and Wyatt use the guest's one. Let me show you" He turned towards his grandson. "You two: if you're quick having that bath and changing your clothes, we can play a game before we finish making the pizza"

Andy escorted Sharon to his bedroom where there was the door that led to the bathroom. "Here" he gave her a clean set of towels.

"Andy, really, it's too much… I've intruded enough of your time with the kids…" things were going too far. How did she end up having a shower at her Lieutenant's place?

He chuckled. "You really think they will let you go now? And you don't even want to try our pizza?" he insisted. "Also, it's no intrusion. We had fun, didn't we?"

"Yeah," she agree smiling. "It's been long since I had so much fun. Kids have a way to make you feel young again"

"Why? Are we old?" he joked and she lightly slapped his shoulder giggling. She suddenly blushed when she realized how close they were. She could feel his warm breath on her cheeks.

Sensing her discomfort, he cleared his throat and took a step back. "I'll let you get washed." He told her. "I'll leave you a clean shirt on the bed"

"Thanks" she smiled and closed the door behind. Leaning against it, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She was in trouble now.

After her quick shower, she tied up her hair with a hair band she kept in her purse and left her hair to dry naturally. Just as promised, Andy had left a clean t-shirt on the bed for her. She brought the navy LAPD shirt to her face and slowly inhaled. It smelled of flowers, probably from the detergent he used, but she also recognized the faint trace of his aftershave. She inhaled deeply and then slid the shirt on, enjoying for a moment the feeling of the soft cotton against her skin.

When she walked back in the living room, the kids had already set up Candyland on the table.

"Wow" she sat down on one of chairs. "It's been ages since I've played this"

"Colin chose it" Wyatt puffed. "It's for kids"

Sharon smirked having been gone through this phase with her kids. "How about you choose the next game? Or maybe you can choose the film to watch after dinner"

Wyatt smiled. "You're staying after dinner?"

She smiled at them. "I think I can stay a bit more" and she ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. "Where's your grandpa?" she looked around hoping to find Andy.

"He's taking a quick shower too" Colin answered then he leaned over Sharon and cupped his mouth to whisper to her. "We found his badge when we were playing hide and seek" Sharon soon recognized the gold badge in his hand.

"I don't think you're supposed to have that" she put her hand out and looked at the boy firmly.

Colin bent his head. "Sorry" he muttered before putting the badge on her hand.

"It's okay" she patted his head and lifted it up by the chin. "But next time ask your Grandpa and no more snooping around" she told them and the kids nodded.

"What's going on?" Andy reappeared behind them.

Sharon gasped. He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a tight white shirt. His wet hair was combed back and Sharon couldn't deny that she fund him very sexy at the moment. "Kids" she managed to say after taking a deep breath.

"Sorry Grandpa" they both apologized.

"For what?" Andy frowned confused.

"I think this belongs to you" Sharon showed him his badge.

"Where did you get this? Have you two been snooping in my bedroom?" he eyed his two step grandsons.

"We're sorry Grandpa Andy, but it looked so cool" Wyatt justified his actions. "I want to be a cop too when I grow up"

"Yeah, me too" Colin grinned.

Andy chuckled. "Don't tell that to Nicole or your Grandma Anna." He kneeled in front of the boys. "Next time just ask, okay?"

"Can we see your gun?" Wyatt asked eagerly

"No, that's off limits. And don't bother going looking for it. I know guns sound cool now, but they're very dangerous." Seeing the sad look on the kids' face Andy suggested something else "Maybe Sharon can show you her badge. She's a Captain, it's even shinier than mine" He smirked at her.

Sharon eyed him with false annoyance knowing that it wasn't true.

"Really?"

"Can we?"

"It's in my purse. I'll get it"

The next few minutes the kids admired the two badges and chased around pretend criminals as they ran shouting "Police". Andy and Sharon watched them amused and proud, but soon Andy stopped the game no wanting them to sweat again after their bath. They started a game of Candyland and soon Andy was out of the game.

"Well" he got up "I'll go start making those pizzas" he said. "Have fun"

Sharon, Colin and Wyatt played another two games before Andy called them saying that dinner was ready. They ate the pizza and Wyatt and Colin kept talking about school, ballet and they were exciting about going to the baseball game the next day. Andy was hoping that at least one of them would get so passionate about the sport to join a little league team so he could go and see baseball games besides ballet recitals.

As they were clearing the table the phone rang and Andy knew it was Nicole checking on the kids. He nodded to them to go and answer.

"Hi Nicole!" they heard them say in the hall. "Yes, we're having so much fun with Grandpa Andy. We played hide and seek, and then Sharon arrived and we made pizza and they let us play with their badges and Colin and Wyatt want to be cops…"

Andy closed his eyes and groaned. Sharon chuckled as she carried the dirty plates to the kitchen. She caressed his arm as she walked passed him.

"Don't worry. Ricky went through a cop phase at that age and look how that turned out?"

"Yeah, I know a lot can change, but I can just imagine what Anna will say when she hears them. She'll say I have corrupted them or brain washed or something like that"

She gave him a sympathetic look. "Don't think about it. It just means that the boys love you and admire what you do"

He smiled at her. She had this incredible gift of saying the right words to make him feel better. Before he could reply the Wyatt ran towards him, phone in his hand.

"Nicole wants to speak to you"

Andy took the phone. "Why don't you go and pick a movie with Sharon. A short one if you want a bedtime story." He walked in the kitchen so he could put the dishes in the dishwasher while talking to Nicole. "Hey baby, are you having fun?"

"Hi Dad. Yes, it's great here. Are the kids behaving?"

"Yes, they're great. We had fun today and tomorrow I'm taking them to the baseball game."

"Yes, I've heard" she replied amusement in her voice. "I've also heard that Sharon is there" she teased him.

"Yes…" He knew what his daughter was thinking.

"Still just friends?"

"Nicole!" he sighed.

"Okay, okay. I won't say anything. Just that since she's now divorced, you should consider making a move. She's a beautiful and incredible woman, someone might beat you to it"

"I'll call you tomorrow after the game" Andy ignored her comment.

"Okay, Dad. Have a nice evening"

Andy put the phone away and finished cleaning the kitchen. When he walked back to the sitting room, Sharon and kids were laughing on the couch and tickling each other. HE couldn't help but smile as Nicole's words haunting him. Could she be right? Could some ask Sharon out before he could even find the courage? How would he feel seeing her with someone else?

Well he knew the answer to that question. Exactly how he felt in this last year when he realized that he was developing feeling for Sharon Raydor, but he could act on them because one, she was his boss, and two, she was still married to that idiot of Jackson. But Nicole was right, now that she had finally cut that final link with Jackson, nothing was stopping her from dating again and finding someone else.

"Andy, are you coming?" Andy shook his head and saw Sharon looking at him confused.

"Sure" he smiled and sat on his recliner. "so what are we watching?"

By the time the film ended, Colin had fallen asleep, his head on Sharon's lap and she was slowly running her hand through the little boy's curls. Wyatt was also fast asleep on the other end of the couch, his soft snores brought a smile on Andy's lips.

"Well, I guess no bedtime stories"

Sharon smiled. "No…" she looked down at the five years old. "Gosh, sometimes I miss not having a kid around, then I remember what I went through raising Emily and Ricky practically all by myself and I'm just happy waiting to be a grandmother someday."

Andy chuckled and slowly got up from the recliner. He carefully picked up Wyatt and carried him towards the guest's room. Sharon was right behind him with Colin. Together they changed the kids into their PJs and tucked them in bed. Colin and Wyatt slept right through it. After making sure that they were still deep asleep, Andy turned the lights off and closed the door behind him.

"Well," Sharon sighed. "I'd better go"

Andy looked unsure as he nervously looked down at his feet. "If you're sure. I could offer you tea or coffee."

"I…"

"I didn't even ask you what you came for?" he smirked realizing that she must have showed up at his doorstep for a reason.

She lightly chuckled. "It seems so futile now. I was reading your report and I couldn't figure out something. I called, but you weren't answering your phone so I decide to stop by." She saw his worried look. It's nothing, really. It can wait on Monday"

There was still an awkward silence between them.

"So, I'd better go…" she pointed at the front door. "I'll wash your shirt and bring it back another day." Mentally she warned herself not to bring it at work if not gossip would immediately start. Also it would give her another excuse to stop by his house again.

"It's no problem. You can keep it" And he knew he should really get to the point. "Listen Sharon…"

"Yes?"

"If hypothetically I would ask you out for dinner, what would you say?"

She smiled teasingly. "Hypothetically? We went out for dinner before, Andy. Would this be a date?"

"Would you want it to be?" he asked expectantly.

Her smile grew bigger and she leaned over him to kiss the side of his mouth. "That would be a yes." She whispered against his cheek.

Andy looked dumbfound for a few second, but then got his bearings back. "Good" he smiled back. "So how about next Friday? I'll come and pick you up"

Sharon gathered her purse and the carrier bag with her blouse in it. "It's a date" She beamed at him before she opened the front door and step outside. "See you on Monday, Andy"

And Andy watched her go outside and enter her car. He waved at her as she drove off in the night. Maybe this was going to be his chance.


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N: **This fic was supposed to be a one-shot fic, but you've all been so kind in your reviews and most of you asked to continue and write about their date. So here it is for week 4 of **#ShandySundayHiatus** and since I wanted to keep the feeling of the title I've added something I had planned to do for quite some time now, so there are going to be more chapters!

Thanks you all for reading and reviewing. Your encouraging words are what keeps me writing.

A big thank you to **Cassidy Blue,** who quickly beta this chapter! And to all my cheerleaders ( you know who you are)

Hope you like it! :D

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For Andy Flynn Friday couldn't come fast enough. As soon as Monday arrived he called one of their favourite restaurants and booked a table for 8 o'clock. When he got to the office he had a big smile on his face. Provenza looked up from his crossword, he saw his partner practically skipping towards his desk and just shook his head muttering the word "Idiot" before going back to his clue.

When he heard the familiar sounds of click clack of a pair of heels, Andy quickly turned around in his chair and saw Sharon walk inside the murder room. She said good morning to everyone and then turned her head towards him. Their eyes locked and they both shared a smile.

"Good morning, Andy" she greeted him as she was entering her office.

" 'morning" he nodded

Provenza watched the exchange with interest, but then he shook his head again. "Idiots"

They had a quiet week. On Monday afternoon they got a case but by Thursday it was all over without any major incidents. Soon Friday was around the corner and Andy sent a text to Sharon that he was going to pick her up at half past seven.

When she got home, Sharon went straight to her bedroom. Before Andy arrived she had to choose a dress, take a shower, do her hair, get dressed, make up… She was feeling nervous already. She took a deep long breath. She should consider the evening just like one of their dinners. Nothing had changed, even if they were finally going on a real date. She suddenly stopped considering the implications. What would it mean for them? Was she ready to take the next step? She had been the one to encourage him to properly ask her for a date. If she was going to be honest with herself, it was about time, they've been dancing around it for months, especially since her divorce had been official, and on Saturday she had seen another side of him, one that she liked… a lot. It had been fun babysitting his grandkids together and she wouldn't mind doing it again in the future. And he had looked so sexy and kind and adorable and… she looked at the time! Shush, she had to get ready!

When the hands for the clock were reaching half past seven, Rusty was watching Sharon nervously move quickly from one room to another. First she had changed the earrings she was wearing, then of course the necklace, she checked her hair again for the he-had-lost-count time. Rusty didn't know if the scene was supposed to be amusing or disturbing.

"Sharon," he called her. "are you feeling okay?" he asked unsure.

"Yeah" she was applying make up again.

"I don't know why you're nervous. It's just another one of your dinners with Flynn, it's not like it's something special"

The look she gave him made him wonder. "Or is it?" he frowned trying to figure out what was going on. "Are you two dating?" For some reason he didn't really want to hear the answer. She was soon going to be his adoptive mother and there are some things you shouldn't know about your parents.

Sharon abruptly stopped in her tracks and turned towards the boy. "Would it bother you if we were?"

Rusty just shrugged. He didn't want to make things difficult for her, she seems already quiet nervous, but he couldn't help thinking what it would imply for him in the future. What if Sharon and Flynn got together and decided to live together? Would Sharon still want to adopt him?

"I like Flynn. He's a good guy" he simply said.

"Rusty" she breathed. She always had the ability to know when there was more than what he was saying behind his words. "It's only a first date. Officially. Nothing is really going to change"

"Okay" he nodded unconvinced. "But when they will, could you please give me some warning?"

"Of course" she smiled at him and then they heard the doorbell ring. Suddenly her relaxed postured changed again and he watched her closed her eyes, before going to open the door.

Andy Flynn was standing behind the door with a big smile on his face. He checked his shirt and tie one last time, before he heard the door open in front of him and looked up. All the words left his mind as he stood there with his mouth wide open.

"Wow… you look magnificent" he said once he could get the words out of his mouth. He didn't know how to describe the angel standing in front of him, because that's how she looked to him with her light blue and white dress, an angel.

Sharon blushed, she never blushed, and smiled at him. "Thank you"

"These are for you" he said giving her the bunch of flowers in his hands.

"Are you trying to impress me, lieutenant Flynn?" she tried to joke to ease the tension between them.

"Is it working?" he smirked as he watched her go to the kitchen to look for a vase for the flowers

He could see Rusty rolling his eyes and he looked at them from the couch. "Hey, kid" he greeted him.

"Hi lieutenant" Rusty was looking at him strangely. He looked almost like he was trying to threaten him not to hurt his foster mom.

Andy shook his head and his eyes landed back on Sharon. "Are you ready?"

"Sure" she got her purse and a shawl for later when it got colder. "Don't go to bed late, Rusty" she told the kid. "And call me if you need anything"

"Yeah, yeah. Have fun" the teenager went back to his computer.

They spend the drive to the restaurant mostly talking about the case and work. It was better starting with easy subjects, before tackling the hard issue of their relationship.

Once they had been seated, Sharon order a glass of white wine and her favourite pasta dish from the place while Andy ordered water and eggplant lasagna.

"So" she said after taking a sip of her wine. "What made you finally ask me for a date?"

Andy almost chocked on his water, he wasn't expecting such a direct approach. He should have imagined it, her straightforwardness is one of things he loved about her.

"Nicole" he simply told her.

Sharon looked at him confused.

"On Saturday, when she called the kids, she told me that I should probably consider making a move now that you were divorced before someone else beat me to it."

She lightly chuckled. "She really said that?"

He nodded. "And I realized that I didn't want to see you with someone else" he looked at her catching her eyes.

"Andy" she sighed. "You know what it will mean… us dating…"

"Sharon," he stopped her. "I like you. A lot. And I like spending time with you and I would love to see how it would feel if we finally let go. Stop thinking about the consequences and just act on our feelings"

She looked at him deeply. "I would love that too" she admitted after what felt like an eternity.

"Good" he smiled sincerely. "So…" suddenly he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket.

He looked at her apologetically and mentally cursed the caller. He picked up his phone and answered.

"What?"

"Well, hello to you too" his partner's sarcasm could be felt miles away.

"What do you want?"

"Well, aren't you just a ray of sunshine tonight. You're on call tonight, remember? We've got a double homicide, so get your ass here" he snapped.

"Okay" Andy sighed. He knew that it could have been possibility since he was on a call, but he hoped for a small miracle and have a quiet night with Sharon.

"Is the captain with you?" Provenza suddenly asked before he could end the call.

Andy eyebrows shot up surprised and for a moment he didn't know what to say. "Why?"

He could just imagine Provenza rolling his eyes at the other end of the call. Avoid answering the question was practically an admission itself.

"We're going to need her here. We've got a problem in our hands and we need her… diplomacy"

"Okay, I'll tell her" He could feel Sharon's eyes on him. That got her attention.

"What's wrong?" she asked once he ended the call.

"That was Provenza. Major Crimes got a double homicide" he said. "I'm on call tonight, so…"

She nodded. She understood that their evening had ended, it came with the job. "You said something about telling her…"

He sighed. How was she going to react to the news? "Provenza said that you should come too. There's a problem and we need your diplomacy. He didn't say much more"

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "How did Provenza know we were out together?"

"He guessed" he sighed. "He knows about our dinners and he was just fishing…"

"Wait, Provenza knows about…" her words were left implied.

"No" he shook his head. "Just that we are friends that occasionally go out together. Nothing more"

She nodded, but he knew she was worried about it. Especially since they were about to go to a scene together dressed like that. "Look, if it's a problem I can drop you off at your place and you can come over after you've changed and got your car."

She shook her head. "No, it seemed urgent. We'll just ignore the stares and do our job" she said and Andy paid for the bill.

Provenza had texted him the address of the crime scene and he drove them there. The silence inside the car was unbearable. It wasn't going exactly like he had imagined their first date to be. They still had a lot to talk about and now that this was happening, Andy was scared that Sharon was going to back away and tell him that it was too risky to start something between them.

He parked the car in front of the crime scene tape and Sharon quickly got out. He sighed and followed her.

"What have we got, lieutenant?" she asked Provenza was she put the protective gear.

Provenza turned around, a quick remark on the tip of his tongue, but he suddenly stopped his movements and looked at her in surprise. That wasn't a dress for a dinner between friends, that was a dress that screamed date. He noticed her glare and decided it was better not to comment and took the professional approach.

"Two bodies. Husband and wife. It looks like the killer was looking for something" he pointed at the messy room.

"What's this diplomatic thing I have to take care of?" Sharon asked firmly. She wasn't happy that her date had been cut short.

"Follow me" Provenza told her. He finally noticed Andy who was kneeling beside Tao and looking for evidence. "Flynn" he shouted. "You can come too"

Mike Tao and Andy looked up. If lieutenant Tao noticed that both Sharon and Andy were dressed up he didn't comment on it. He just faltered his movements when he saw his captain's dress and then went back to work.

"We've got a witness" Provenza simply said as he led them towards an ambulance. "Meet Allison Green" Andy and Sharon looked at the scared little girl who curled up on the ambulance stretcher.

"The medics say that she's fine, but she hasn't talk to us since we found her hidden underneath the bed."

"Oh poor girl" Sharon gasped.

"She was there when her parents were being tortured and then killed. We have no idea if she saw anything, but she definitely must have heard something." He paused "We've found her birth certificate. She's just 3 years old" Sometimes the job was tough even for him.

"Okay" Sharon nodded and fought back the emotions creeping up on her. She felt Andy take a step closer to her and her back was nearly resting against his chest. For now that was all the comfort she could get. "Have you tried contacting Dr. Joe? He is specialized in kids affected by trauma"

"We legally don't know what to do. It's Friday night and we're having a hard time contacting social service. I've put Sykes on it" Provenza exclaimed.

In that moment "Lieutenant, I've go…" Amy Sykes stopped surprise. "Good evening, Captain." The detective smiled. "You look nice, lovely dress. Did we you have a date?" she asked innocently.

Andy gave a nervous cough and Sharon tried to stay impassive.

"Sykes!" Provenza snapped. "You were saying"

"What?" Amy shook her head. "Oh yeah. I've found the social worker on call. Unfortunately there are no legal relatives alive, so unless we find someone else…" Allison will go to foster care.

Sharon thought hard about it. In her mind she was working all the detail. Her eyes landed again on the lost little girl and she finally made the decision. "Amy," she turned on her heels. "When you'll finally reach the social worker tell them that Allison will be staying with me until we find another solution"

"I… okay Captain" Amy didn't know what else to say.

Andy and Provenza watched Sharon get in the ambulance and try to approach the little girl.

"She does know that she doesn't have to take all the underage witnesses into her home, right?" Provenza commented as he shook his head and walked away.

Andy just stood there and watched Sharon laying a comforting hand on Allison's shoulder. The little girl didn't move away, but she welcomed the gesture as Sharon smiled down at her.

No, not exactly how he imagined their first date ending.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Hi, I'm back. I'm a bit late for #ShandySunday so it will be a #ShandyMonday. Thank you all for reading and reviewing and a big thank you to all the Shandy shippers and #Flynngirls on twitter :D**

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Andy stood outside the conference room looking gloomily through the glass window. Sharon was sitting in one of the chairs and the one right next to hers was occupied by the scared little girl.

He could see that Sharon was doing all the talking, hoping she could get through the little girl with her compassion and gentle disposition. She had bought a plate full of cookies and a glass of milk. After starring at the plate for a while, Allison stretched her arm and took a cookie and she slowly started nibbling it. Sharon smiled down at her and gently caressed the girl's hair.

Andy didn't want to interrupt the moment, but he needed to talk to her. He gently tapped his knuckles on the glass, catching Sharon's attention.

Her head quickly turned around and she nodded at him. She said a few words to Allison before exiting the room.

"Hi" she said after closing the door behind her.

"Hi" he replied back, hands in his pocket.

He could sense that they were both nervous about the situation.

"You think I'm making a mistake" she finally interrupted the awkward silence.

"I didn't say that." he stated. "You're doing what you do best; taking care of people. I just don't want to see you get hurt"

"I couldn't just leave her there." she paused looking at Allison taking a sip from the glass of milk. "For a moment there I saw a scared Emily and..."

"And your mother instinct kicked in" he teased

She sighed. "I didn't act like a Captain. It's the second time I get to emotionally invested with a witness." she sadly chuckled. "Maybe I'm not Major Crimes material. I didn't have these problems at FDI"

Andy laid a hand on her shoulder. "Being compassionate doesn't make you weak or a bad cop, it means that you feel more than others and most times it's not such a bad thing." he took a big breath. "If it weren't for you that little girl might be now in a dark room with other kids and strangers scared to death. Here, we can get her to trust us and figure out what happened to her parents"

She nodded, still not really convinced that she was doing the right thing, but Andy's encouraging words had helped.

_Andy_

She still didn't know what to do with her feelings for him, and this new situation with Allison might complicate things more.

"Some first date, huh?" she tried to joke, her eyes searching his.

He lightly chuckled. "I was thinking the same thing. It suit us, though. When did we do anything normal?"

She had to laugh at that. Yes, nothing was normal about their past relationship. But normal was overrated.

"Did you call Rusty? I don't want him to think that I've kidnapped you or something."

"What? Took me to your apartment for a great night of hot sex" she teased him mischievously.

Andy just stared at her with his mouth opened, shocked. He didn't know she had this side of her and for a moment he was lost on what to do about it.

Sharon decided to put him out of his shocked state and answered his question.

"I called him in the car. I told him we caught a case and didn't know when I could be back home. Who knows how he will react when I tell him about Allison."

"He is a good kid and you've raised him. I'm sure he'll be fine with it." The duffel bag laying on the floor beside him, reminded him of the real reason he came to her. "I got some clothes from Allison's room." he lifted the bag up "she'll probably be cold in just her pajamas"

Sharon smiled at his thoughtfulness. He really was a good man.

"No luck in trying to make her talk?"

She shook her head. "I'm out of ideas. We'll probably have to wait for Dr. Joe tomorrow"

"Let me try something" he put the bag back on the floor and bent down to open it. He took something from out of it, something that Sharon recognized as a brow teddy bear with a red bow tie and a checked waistcoat. "I've found this on the floor. Maybe this will help her. I remember Nicole used to have a teddy bear at her age. She wouldn't go anywhere without it" he smiled thinking about those far memories.

"Let's try" Sharon smiled and they both went inside the room.

Allison had almost finished her cookies and milk. Her eyes got scared when she saw the stranger man, but they soon sparkled when she saw what he was holding.

"Dr. Who!" she exclaimed snatching the teddy bear from Andy's hand and hugging it tightly to her chest.

"So it speaks" Andy and Sharon shared an amused smile.

"Andy found Dr. Who at your house." Sharon sat beside her. "Did you lose him?"

The three years old nodded. "I lost him when the big man made a loud noise. I got scared and ran in my room hiding under the bed. Then there was another big noise and shut my eyes and mouth. Daddy told me not to make a noise. But it's okay to talk now?"

The little girl looked at them scared that she was in trouble for disobeying her father.

Sharon put her arm around the girl in comfort. "Yes, Allison. It's okay to talk now. The big man is gone." She saw that Andy wanted to ask more questions, but she silently shook her head. They had made progress for now ,but she didn't want to scare the girl into silence again.

"I want my mamma" the girl sobbed. "When can I go to her?"

"Oh Allison" Sharon drew the girl to her and held her in lap. She locked her eyes with Andy's. How were they going to explain to her that her parents weren't coming back.

Sharon was rocking the crying girl in her lap while Andy had an arm around them, trying to give them extra strength.

They stayed like that for minutes until they were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Ma'am" Sanchez peaked his head inside. He uncomfortably observed the scene, but said nothing. "We've got something" he reported.

Sharon nodded and saw that Allison had fallen asleep. She carefully shifted the girl in her arms.

"Here, let me" Andy put an arm under the girl's knees and with the other one he gently slid the girl from Sharon's arms into his.

"Let's put her on the couch in my office" Sharon said while she exited the room. They went down the corridor and she opened her office's door for him. "She'll be more comfortable here" She got a blanket that she kept inside a wardrobe and tucked her under it.

Allison soon slipped further down the warmth of the cover and held Dr. Who tightly against her chest while the other arm sneaked up and she put her thumb in her mouth.

Both Andy and Sharon smiled adorably down at her and to outsiders it could seem like they were proud parents looking down at their kid.

"We have to go" Andy laid a hand on her back and guided her out of her office towards the murder room where the others were already waiting for them.

"Thank you for finally joining us" Provenza muttered. "If you've finished with babysitting duties **we** can finally show you what **we've** discovered." The old lieutenant was feeling grumpy mainly because he didn't like working late, he should have been in bed hours ago. Secondly because he didn't like what he knew was going on between Andy and their captain. He didn't need to have office love drama.

Provenza nodded at Lieutenant Mike Tao who got up from his chair and started his presentation.

"The victims are Michael and Caroline Green. He was an accountant for a company named Trackvise and she was a professor at LA College. No criminal background, just a speeding ticket for Mr. Green. I'm still waiting on their financials. Won't have anything until tomorrow morning."

"It's already morning" Provenza grumbled.

Detective Sanchez ignored the lieutenant's comment and started his part of the presentation. "The alarm system was cut off." He showed them the pictures of the cut wire. "and the killers entered from the backdoor. The kid was probably already in bed while her parents were watching TV in the sitting room." He showed more pictures of the crime scene. Buzz was still working on putting together the footage he had taken.

"They both were tortured before they were killed. Tomorrow's autopsy will tell us more. But the killers were definitely looking for something. The whole place was a mess"

"Allison told us about a big man making a big noise. Probably when he shot the parents." Andy said from where he was leaning against his desk. Sharon wasn't very far from him.

"Will we be able to get a description?" Tao asked.

Sharon shook her head. "The girl is clearly traumatized. I don't want to insist and make her close in herself again. I want to wait for Dr. Joe before we ask more questions."

"She said that her father told her not to make a noise, so at some point Mr. Green got free."

Sanchez nodded. "I'll have to look at the crime video to make a more precise reconstruction."

"I've sent the bullets to the lab. Pending results" Tao announced.

"Amy," Sharon turned towards the young detective. "Where are we in finding some legal guardians for Allison?"

"I've left a message at a lawyer's number I found. I hope he'll contact me again tomorrow, but it is the weekend."

"Well," Sharon stood up. "we can't really do anything until tomorrow and I know Chief Taylor won't be happy to pay for extra time, so let's all go home and be back tomorrow at 10." She turned around. "Julio, tell Buzz that he can finish his work in the morning."

Everyone nodded and prepared to leave. Provenza was the last one to get his things together. He observed Flynn quietly talking to Raydor and she nodded placing her hand on his chest. The lieutenant quietly puffed at the intimate gesture and shook his head before leaving for the night.

"Are you ready to go?" Andy had asked her gently.

"Yeah" she took a deep breath. "Let's do this."

"Sharon, you're going to be fine" he smiled at her. "Plus, you're not alone"

So many emotions were rushing inside her, but one in particular she recognized and let it envelop her: love. She was in love with this man. She laid a hand on his chest and felt his heart beat under her palm. It was strong and slightly rushed and it sent a shiver through her to know that she was the cause of it.

For a moment she realized that even if they were now alone, they were still at work. She dropped her hand embarrassed. "So" she nervously ran her hands down her dress. Oh, how she wished she had pockets. "We should gather everything and go"

"Sure" Andy smirked. "Allison's bag is still in the conference room"

"I'll get that" she offered. "Why don't you…"

"I'll carry Allison" he nodded.

They met again at the lifts. Allison was so tired that she didn't even wake up when Andy had lifted her up from Sharon's couch still wrapped inside the blanket. She just moved further into the man's arms and laid her head on his shoulder.

"We've got a heavy sleeper here" he smiled at Sharon as they went inside the elevator car.

Sharon caressed the girl's hair and moved a piece of strand that had fallen over her face. "She looks so peaceful right now. Hard to imagine that just a few hours ago something so terrible has happened to her."

"Kids are strong, Sharon. She will get through it with our help"

They soon got to his car. Sharon's opened the back passenger doors for him so he could lay Allison in the back seats. Once Andy made sure Allison was comfortable, he leaned back out and then opened Sharon's door.

"Thank you" she smiled as she brushed passed him and got inside the car.

Andy gulped and he closed the door before going to the driver seat. Sharon laid her head against the window. She would from time to time turn her head around to check on the three years old. But much of the drive was spent in silence. They didn't need to talk, just being together was enough.

"Rusty is still in bed" she said after she had opened the front door of the condo.

"Where should I put her?" Andy asked carrying Allison through the threshold.

"Down the corridor last door on the left" she whispered slowly taking her heels off.

Andy followed her directions and entered Sharon's bedroom. He wished the first time crossing the doorway of that room would have been for different reasons, but for now he took what he could.

Allison opened her eyes when she felt her body dip into the mattress.

"Shush, go back to sleep" Andy whispered.

Her little eyes soon closed again. After he made sure she was back to the land of dreams, he closed the door behind him. He found Sharon in the kitchen.

"Can I get you something?" she asked as she poured water in a glass.

He leaned against the kitchen counter. "No, thanks" he looked at his watch. "I should probably go. I mean… I do need a couple of hours of sleep before going back to the office" he chuckled.

"Yeah" she nodded, but she didn't really want to night to end. "Andy, thank you for the lovely evening"

"You mean despite the murder and the late hours and the babysitting?" he smirked.

"Yeah" she lightly laughed. "Despite all that, I really had a lovely time"

"Me too" he smiled sincerely. "And I hope we can do it again. This time without interruptions"

"I would like that too" she smiled back and she took a step towards him.

Andy didn't know what she was going to do and he was surprised when she lifted herself with the tip of her toes and gently pecked his lips.

"Is that all the goodnight kiss I'm going to get?" he asked joking when he final recovered.

"For now" she eyed him playfully. "You have to deserve more"

"Oh really?"

"Really" she kept grinning.

"Good night Sharon" his words were gentle.

"Good night Andy" she opened the door for him.

"One last thing" he quickly turned around after stepping outside. She raised her eyebrow in questions as his face changed into serious expression. "Was there really going to be a great night of hot sex after dinner?"

She snorted laughing. "Well" she said after she stopped laughing. "You will have to invite me again and find out"


End file.
